Ischia culture

I was on another board and this Ischia culture starter was mention. What is it exactly....today was the first time I heard of this starter.......one guy puts it in his DSP/Sicilian dough recipe. How does it compare to the other starters that are out there? Thanks gang.

The Ischia culture is excellent. I have used it many times and was never disappointed. It has a mild flavor profile but is a great leavening agent. I used it in breads, rolls and, of course, pizza dough.

If you need more info on it, I'd shoot Ed from sourdo.com an e-mail. Great guy and very helpful.

I used both the Ischia and Camaldoli in the past. A long time ago. The Ischia was much more sour than the Camadoli. We also tested them for the book as well but took that section out. We made the kit using a styrofoam cooler and lights along with other methods and techniques for starters. Back in the day I bought them from Fermented Treasures. You could buy the dry and in wet (dough) form if I remember right. I bought both. For the book we bought them from Ed at sourdo.com. We did all the tests and had good results. That's a great source. You can make great starters using a lot of things like organic grapes, figs, and natural sourdough. For pizza I never look for anything that over powers my ingredients but that's my personal preference

When I started the Ischia starter I used it in about 4-5 days. I used the Camaldoli sooner but tried to stretch it out longer. Didn't change much and I felt as if It was maximized. The Ischia was more sour and I made them both wet. Once at 100% and the other was 70% hydrated. The flavor and sourness depended on the flour used. Years ago it was power flour I used and morebread flour. My buddy at the time used King Arthur and Caputo Blue.
For the book we may still have photos from when we did the recent tests for the book. We were in Napa when we did. Will post if I find them and all the notes.